Monday, March 20, 2017

Theresa Milstein & A Moment in Time

Please welcome one of my blog buddies and all around sweetheart Theresa Milstein to the blog today!
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I have a question I pose at the end of this post:

If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?

Before you answered, I thought I should share my own answer. Then I realized how hard it is to answer this question. Sorry! I could choose the births of my children, but I don’t want to experience all of it again. I could also choose my wedding day—that was pretty great.

One of the poems in my collection is called “Un-Perfect Moment,” which was inspired by a family party a couple of years ago, dancing outside with my cousins and my daughter. Many of my aunts and uncles were there.

“those blood-bond circles of life swirl

through the past and towards the future

you sweep away in a shared moment

as hot and sweet as summer’s breath”

It panged me at the time thinking that in a year or two or five, some people might no longer be there. And that captures me entirely—even in a blissful moment, my head can’t stay there. I’m always thinking back, looking forward.

So I tried to consider if there were times when I was just present. I recalled another summer on vacation. My husband and kids wanted to take surfboarding lessons in Santa Cruz. I had no interest in doing so. They got into gear and climbed down to the ocean. I stayed on top at a small sitting area with my laptop. While I revised on that perfect-weather day with others out there enjoying the day, some older guy played guitar and sang original songs. I revised while I enjoyed the music and periodically looked out at my family, little dots upon at sun twinkled waves.

That was a very good day.

With subtle wit, and poignant imagery, the unrelenting passage of time connects the vignettes in Theresa Milstein’s Time and Circumstance. This reflective collection of real and imagined poetry and prose, speculates on an erratic childhood, the uncertainty of adolescence, and the reality of parenthood, through flashbacks of love lost and found.

Theresa Milstein writes middle grade and YA, but poetry is her secret passion. Her vignette collection, TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE, will be published by Vine Leaves Press in March 21, 2017.She lives near Boston Massachusetts with her husband, two children, a dog-like cat, and a cat-like dog. For her day job, she works as a special education teacher in a public school, which gives her ample opportunity to observe teens and tweens in their natural habitat.

Leave a comment and you’re eligible to win a prize during my blog tour!

1 $25 Amazon gift card

1 signed paperback copy

1 ebook

Answer the question:

“If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?”

Extra entries if you share on Facebook or Twitterand link it to me.

@TheresaMilstein on Twitter.

@Theresa Milstein on Facebook

#ReliveMoment or #TimeandCircumstance

Winners will be announced on April 5, 2017

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Thanks Theresa! There are so many wonderful moments in a life, but finding a perfect moment to return to... so hard. I think I'd choose a bright summer day when my hubby and I were teaching the kids to play t-ball. So much laughter and joy and love. One of those days full of potential.

I like the idea of being more present in the moment. Maybe a trip I took to Kenya where the travel just made me more anxious and I really needed to be more present. I agree with not reliving the births of children, ha!

Elizabeth, I can see how you'd want to relive something you wanted to enjoy more the first time. That happened to me once, probably for a different reason--I was on vacation, but I was stressed about spending $ the whole time.

Congrats on your book, Theresa! So excited for you. I've answered your question and my answer is the same. My wedding or day I met daughter on a dance floor in a hotel bar when we adopted her in China. That first moment I held her was priceless.

Hi Jemi! Hi Theresa! I enjoyed reading about your moment, Jemi. It's hard to distill life to precious moments when many of us are fortunate enough to have so many to look back on. On another of Theresa's posts, I said my first time arriving in Paris, so I stay with that...

I would like to relive my tenth class reunion, it was a fun night, but that's not the reason I want to relive it. It was a point in my life where I had more confidence in my looks my style my ability and my belief that I could make a difference in people's lives. Somehow along the way I've lost my "powers". Just getting them back for a day could bring the old strong me back. Love your book T! If I win a signed copy I'll give away my well loved already, copy.

Last year, in the weeks before my mother died, I had the privilege of spending many moments with her, sometimes in complete silence. I used to sleep so well in the same room as my mother. Don't we all? Sometimes, in the quiet moments of my hectic life I relive that time. You never get it back again. Congratulations to Theresa. Poetry is a very speial gift.